With Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie, Karim Benzema, Neymar and Lionel Messi already among the goals at the 2014 World Cup, speculation is rife as to who will win the Golden Boot.

The list of illustrious predecessors is vast given the World Cup's 84-year history, so will any of the aforementioned players be rubbing shoulders with the World Cup's best-ever strikers by the end of Brazil 2014?

9. Paolo Rossi (Italy)

Paolo Rossi's Golden Boot award in the 1982 World Cup inspired the Azzurri to their first World Cup in 44 years.

It also helped the Juventus striker overcome a difficult time in his career—his implication in the Totonero scandal, which resulted in a two-year ban from football.

He returned to the international fold just in time for the World Cup. Back then the format entailed two round-robin group stages, and having disappointed during the first stage, Rossi suddenly came to life with six goals—including an unforgettable hat-trick in Italy's 3-2 win over favourites Brazil.

8. Miroslav Klose (Germany)

Martin Rose/Getty ImagesKlose stretches ahead of his last World Cup

Klose is the only current player in the list.

Despite not having the Hollywood presence of the other names selected, the Polish-born striker recently overtook the legendary Gerd Muller as Germany's all-time top scorer and currently sits just one goal behind Brazilian Ronaldo for the most all-time goals scored in the World Cup.

7. Eusebio (Portugal)

Nicknamed as the "Black Panther," Eusebio terrorised defences, in particular North Korea's, as he scored four goals to turn the quarter-final match on its head after the Koreans had taken a surprising 3-0 lead within the opening 30 minutes.

Eusebio also enjoyed a successful career at Benfica where he won numerous league titles, plus one European Cup and one prestigious Ballon d'Or award in 1965.

The Bayern Munich striker scored 14 goals across two World Cup tournaments (13 matches), including some very important goals such as the quarter-final extra-time winner in a 3-2 victory over England in 1970, in addition to the winner in the 1974 World Cup Final against the Dutch.

He won the Golden Boot in 1970 with 10 goals—the last man to reach double digits in a single tournament.

2. Diego Maradona (Argentina)

Maradona's personal tally of five goals and five assists in Argentina's 14 goals during their successful 1986 World Cup campaign is an impressive statistic, but the sheer, spellbinding quality of his play made the feat all the more impressive.

Argentina's coach Carlos Bilardo decided to mould an unfashionable Argentina side around his star player, who rekindled his career after trading La Liga for Serie A by transferring from Barcelona to Napoli.

Despite the dishonest "Hand of God" goal against England, his second goal, moments later in the same match, has always been considered one of the all-time great goals.

Maradona and Argentina were close to defending the World Cup four years later as the holders reached the final, but he later tarnished his career by failing a drug test at the 1994 tournament.